The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, seized 20 metric tonnes of Chinese firecrackers worth Rs 6.32 crore at Nhava Sheva Port and gold worth Rs 4.64 crore at Mumbai airport in two separate operations on Monday. The agency claims that the firecrackers were allegedly smuggled by misdeclaration as leggings to avoid being caught by agencies. In the first operation, the agency acted on reliable information and while checking the consignment, they found that 95% of the container was filled with concealed Chinese-origin firecrackers. The firecrackers were allegedly hidden behind a superficial layer of leggings and were placed at the front to disguise the actual contents. The officials found nearly 60,000 pieces of firecrackers in the container. The agency has been investigating to find out the smugglers as well as the person who is supposed to receive the consignment. Earlier in July, the agency had seized huge quantities of Chinese firecrackers worth Rs 35 crore which were found allegedly concealed in seven containers at Nhava Sheva Port, Mundra Port, and Kandla SEZ. The importing firecrackers are ‘restricted’ under foreign trade policy, and requires licences from DGFT and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under the Explosive Rules, 2008. Firecrackers and fireworks are harmful as they contain banned chemicals like red lead, copper oxide and lithium and it poses a significant risk to the public safety, port infrastructure. In another operation, the agency claims that they have seized four kilograms of gold worth Rs 4.64 crore and arrested four persons allegedly involved in smuggling at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). The gold was seized under the operation 'Golden Sweep'. The arrested accused include an airport staffer, two handlers and the passenger. The agency caught the passenger once he arrived from Niger and he was hiding the gold in his cabin baggage compartment. The gold was then handed over to the airport staffer while exiting from the airport area and later the staffer was caught while handing over it to the handler of the syndicate. Last week, the agency had seized 10.5 kg of gold worth Rs 12.58 crore and arrested 13 persons including eight transit passengers, two airport staffers and two handlers and the mastermind of the syndicate.
